


While the Sands 'o Life Shall Run

by Anthemyst



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bittersweet, Gen, Written before season 2 aired so it’s not exactly consistent with the latest episodes, also background rollcoeur i guess?, background Ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 21:18:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12442044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthemyst/pseuds/Anthemyst
Summary: Nathalie's seen that look on an Agreste before.





	While the Sands 'o Life Shall Run

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chiomi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiomi/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Oh, My Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10289819) by [Chiomi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiomi/pseuds/Chiomi). 



> For the Miraculous Remix 2017, this is based on Chiomi's Oh, My Love, retold from Nathalie's perspective. Like the original, the title comes from Robert Burns' [A Red, Red Rose](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43812/a-red-red-rose).

“...and then I realized a picnic _could_ work in February if it was in the greenhouse, but I know Father sometimes hosts company events there, especially in winter, but this would be over before most of those begin so I think even if something’s already scheduled that day it should be fine, I'll have everything cleared out ahead of time I promise, I'll do whatever I need to in order to make this work-”

“Adrien,” Nathalie interrupted gently, “calm down. The greenhouse is completely free on the fourteenth.”

Adrien sighed in relief. “Really?”

Nathalie pulled up her schedule for the day on her tablet. “See? All meetings and company events are listed out, and none take place in the greenhouse. Feel free to use it for as long as you need.”

Adrien grinned. “Thanks, Nathalie.”

Nathalie nodded. “Might I ask who the lucky young woman is?”

Adrien’s face went red. “Um. You know, I'm not sure if she'll say yes, so I'd rather not-”

“Of course,” Nathalie said smoothly. She already knew of course, she'd just been curious if Adrien would tell her or not. “Well, let me know if you require any further assistance.” She bit back a sigh as Adrien nodded, thanked her again, and ran off.

No part of Nathalie was surprised by Adrien’s request. It simply made her feel old, that was all. Adrien hadn't even been born, after all, the last time she'd helped an Agreste woo a superheroine.

 _Like father, like son_ , Nathalie thought wryly, not for the first time since Ladybug had appeared on the scene almost a year and a half ago.

 

* * *

 

Nathalie had recognized the dopey, lovesick look on Adrien’s face immediately, back when the first news report about the new heroes aired, although the one his father had worn almost twenty years earlier had been much more guarded.

“Remarkable, isn't she?” Gabriel had murmured, glued to the news report along with Nathalie and every other employee of the company as they watched the coverage of Le Paon singlehandedly saving the city from certain destruction. Nathalie had merely nodded silently.

Two months later, Gabriel had been personally rescued by the heroine. And it wasn't much longer after that when...

“This is very much not in my job description,” Nathalie told her boss, looking over his list of requests.

“Nonsense,” Gabriel replied, leaning back in his desk chair and looking up at his personal assistant. “It falls under “Miscellaneous Requests”. I was very careful to add that section into your employee contract when I hired you.”

“I'm not sure seducing Le Paon could properly be termed ‘miscellaneous’. Sir.”

“Hmm.” Gabriel considered this for a moment. “Well, perhaps. Still. I would be very grateful for your assistance.”

Nathalie raised an eyebrow. “How grateful?”

“Oh,” Gabriel didn't grin-even back then, he rarely smiled-but his eyes glinted mischievously, “grateful enough to make sure that the upcoming line endorsed by Jagged Stone requires many late night meetings between yourself and that assistant of his. What was her name? Penny?”

Nathalie’s cheeks turned pink. “Fine, fine,” she said begrudgingly. “Not that it’ll help. Do you have any idea how many men must try their luck with Le Paon?”

Gabriel waved a hand dismissively. “I'm not concerned with other men. Other men aren't Gabriel Agreste.”

“Hmph.” Nathalie resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she read through the list of requests again. “You don't think this is coming on a bit strong for a first date? Sometimes less is more, you know.”

“Don't be ridiculous. Le Paon is the most extraordinary woman in Paris. I cannot possibly court her with half-measures.”

“I didn't say you should,” Nathalie said patiently. “I'm just concerned that… well, for example, this part here.” Nathalie pointed to one of the items.

“What about it?”

“Sir, if you try to fit an entire string quintet onto a private gondola along with yourself and Le Paon, you'll all capsize.”

Gabriel scowled. “I _suppose_ a single violinist might be sufficient,” he admitted. He looked over the list again, then looked at Nathalie. For the first time since she'd entered the office, there was a hint of uncertainty in his gaze. “Is there… anything else? Any other possible setbacks?”

“Why don't I look it over more thoroughly tonight,” Nathalie said, her expression softening, “and I’ll get back to you tomorrow with a full report?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yes, that would be most appreciated, Nathalie. Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

“Where do you want these?”

Nathalie stared at the giant arrangement of roses, momentarily stunned. “Just… leave them in the front here, thank you,” she told the delivery man. He nodded, then placed the giant case on a nearby foyer table. “You're tracking petals in,” she added sharply, glaring at the floor.

“Sorry, ma’am,” the man said, but he was grinning. “They're all over the place today, no getting around it. This is my tenth delivery this morning and I'm nowhere near done. Busiest day of they year for us, you know.” He kicked the stray petals back towards the door, then bent down and picked up a broken, slightly wilted rose. “On the house,” he said, holding it out to Nathalie.

“A regular Casanova, you,” Nathalie said dryly, but she accepted the flower all the same. Laughing, the man let himself out and Nathalie took one last look at the immaculate display before going off to find Adrien.

 

* * *

 

Nathalie wasn't normally the spying type, but when the occasional curiosity struck her it was embarrassingly easy to pull off. Almost every public room on the Agreste property had a security camera, and all the feeds went straight to a single location.

Nathalie promised herself she'd shut the monitor off once Ladybug arrived, that she simply wanted to see if the heroine would appear or not.

Idly, Nathalie flipped through the feeds on the secondary monitor while she was waiting. There was a company event scheduled in the ballroom later in the evening, and for a few minutes Nathalie watched the caterers and decorators as they set everything up. She took a few mental notes of who was working diligently and who was slacking off before she switched the feed again. Nathalie flipped through empty room after empty room, until-

Gabriel Agreste. Standing in front of that damn painting, as still as if he was a painting himself. Nathalie shouldn't have been surprised. It was Valentine's Day, after all.

On the other hand, well, it was always _something_ , wasn't it? Valentine's Day, Christmas, her birthday, their anniversary, the day she'd vanished. No part of the calendar was safe from the ghost of her.

Nathalie’s gaze flickered back to the greenhouse monitor, to Adrien. Every muscle in him was tense with nervous apprehension, but his eyes were full of hope and his arms were full of roses. Nathalie looked down to her own rose, already looking even worse than it had that morning. It would be dead in a day, maybe two. Was that what it always came to, young love? It felt eternal but it wasn't. It ended, and time marched on, the sands of life ran long after it was gone. Nathalie looked back and forth between the office feed and the greenhouse. Was Adrien his father’s past, or was Gabriel his son’s future?

 _No_ , Nathalie thought, filled with sudden determination as she saw the young heroine arrive, blushing and smiling. _Not again. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do differently this time, it's not ending in tragedy again_.


End file.
